


Rebuilding Connections

by Crow_Norbs



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Inhumans - Freeform, Multi, Panic Attacks, Slow Build, Slow Burn, powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-11 03:20:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11705727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crow_Norbs/pseuds/Crow_Norbs
Summary: Daisy Johnson and Jemma Simmons; snippits of their evolving friendship and eventual relationship.





	Rebuilding Connections

**Chapter 01: Panic Attacks**

 

* * *

 

 

"Bureaucracy is bullshit." Daisy Johnson strode through the dark halls of the base with loud, steady steps echoing off the brick walls. The sound of her heels clicking against the concrete was in sharp contrast to the determined, albeit angry lines creasing her forehead as her fingers impatiently unraveled her tie, pulling it free from her neck. Her suit felt far more constraining than her skin-tight Quake outfit ever had; the pressed lapels and perfectly tailored lines trapped her in a world of social convention and political grandstanding.

 

The ache in her bones were a dull yet steady rhythm, the stack of paperwork and folders tucked neatly under her arm feeling like lead with every passing step as she made her way further into the building. The summit had lasted a total of sixteen hours and they had managed to make close to absolutely no headway. What had started as a meeting rooted in good intentions about creating a standard of care for Inhumans in public hospitals had quickly devolved into a heated debate on the possibility of voluntary sterilization.

 

Ducking into an unused conference room, Daisy tossed the stack of folders across the large, wooden table with a satisfying 'thud' before slumping down into a nearby chair. The plus, leather fabric felt cool against her neck - a momentary relief. Letting out a sigh, she let her shoulder slump forward, unbothered by the chance of anyone catching her in such a defeated state. It was late, far too late for anyone to be out roaming the halls. It also meant that it was way past office hours, sparing her a face-to-face with Director Mace until tomorrow morning at the earliest. "Thank God for small wonders." She muttered under her breath, thankful that she could catch at least one break today.

 

Her work was best done in the shadows - her powers and her hacking abilities were best done with a considerable distance between herself and the public eye, for a multitude of reasons. She was never meant to be front-and-center. She was never meant to be a 'diplomat' or an 'ambassador' or whatever else it was that Mace was trying to mold her to be these last few months. She understood his strive and need to change the direction of SHIELD in the public eye, but she was starting to wonder if an organization like this had a place for someone like her.

 

She had managed to keep her cool today, but just barely. The vindictiveness that some people still bore against her kind was startling. Inhumans were just like anyone else - they wanted to live happily and freely. Why was that so hard for some people to understand?

 

The building pressure behind her eyes throbbed in unison with the ache in her bones, causing her to wince as she leaned further down into the chair, palms pressing against her temples as she tried to steady her breathing. There were days she wondered if coming back really was the right choice â€“ was she doing as much good as she had been before? Or was she falling into a false sense of security, trying to play the bureaucrat for the government versus being on the streets interacting with the people who truly needed it? "Fuck." Why was breathing becoming such an issue?

 

"Daisy?"  
Her eyes snapped open, head tilting up to find Jemma Simmons standing in the open doorway, framed by the rays of light spilling in to the otherwise dark room. There were goggles still hanging around her neck, a rare sight since her transition from simple biologist to SHIELD second-in-command. So much had changed, and Jemma was no exception. But just like most things, Jemma carried the changes with a grace and strength that Daisy couldn't help but admire. She was still wearing her collared shirt and violet sweater, hair pulled back into a short, messy ponytail. She must have been working down in the lab while everyone else was asleep, finishing up on a personal project while she still had the time. There was concern etched into her features, having always carried it in the crinkle of her forehead and the slight tightening of her eyebrows. "Daisy, what's wrong?" Jemma repeated as she crossed the threshold into the room with quick steps, kneeling down in front of her, resting a soft hand on her knee.

 

For the first time in a long time, words escaped Daisy. What was wrong? _What wasn't wrong_? Everything felt wrong. Her job felt wrong. This version of SHIELD felt wrong. Mace felt wrong. With the throbbing in her bones and the itching in her skin, even she felt wrong. How could you put something like that into words without sounding totally and utterly crazy? Daisy's mouth hung open before snapping shut, repeating the movement a few more times as she struggled to come up with a valid excuse for her current situation. It felt like there was a jackhammer against her chest. "I..." Her voice cracked despite herself.

 

"I need you to focus on me, alright Daisy?" Jemma's voice was firm but not unkind, guiding her back to reality as she took Daisy's wrist in her hand, feeling for her pulse. If the beating in her chest and the ringing in her ears were any indication, she knew her heartrate was high. Too high. "After Maveth..." Jemma began, Daisy's eyes snapping back to meet hers. Jemma never talked about that godforsaken planet. "I experienced quite a lot of panic attacks, even if I didn't recognize them for what they were at the time." Daisy felt her other hand being pulled away from her temple, Jemma pressing it against her own chest, keeping her hand firmly over hers. "Breathe with me, alright?" She offered with a small smile, taking an exaggerated breath in for a few seconds before exhaling in a similar, drawn-out fashion.

 

Daisy could feel the expanding and contracting of Jemma's chest against her palm, her powers unconsciously imprinting a mental sonogram of her entire being as she kept pace with her deep, steady breaths. Jemma. _This was Jemma._ With each long, drawn out movement she couldn't help but feel herself calm down, the tightness in her own chest loosening. "Sorry." She managed to choke out.

 

Jemma frowned slightly, shaking her head. "No apologies. Does this happen often?" She ventured carefully, concerned for her friend. They had drifted apart despite themselves and sometimes it felt like walking on eggshells around one another. Good intentions only got one so far.

 

"I can still work." Daisy defended immediately, bristling at the indication of being unable to do her job. She felt like this was the containment pod and getting her powers all over again. She worked hard to become an agent, this silly _feeling_ she was having wasn't going to get in the way of that. Not again.

 

"No, no, no." Jemma clarified, pulling away from Daisy as she stood up to lean against the table. "I don't care about your clearance, or your position as an agent, or anything to do with SHIELD." Her irritation was poorly hidden as she crossed her arms across her chest, voice raising slightly. "I'm not asking as the head of S.A.D.I.S.T or as Director Mace's advisor. I'm asking you as your _friend_ , Daisy. Nothing more and nothing less." The way she emphasized the word 'friend', and the slight hurt in her tone made Daisy feel guilty almost immediately. Of course Jemma was only concerned about her wellbeing.

 

Daisy gave her friend a soft smile, an unspoken apology. "You showed me yours, how about I show you mine?" Daisy offered instead, rising from her spot in the chair as she held her hand out for Simmons to take. There was a playful glint in her eye, one that Jemma hadn't seen in months if she was being honest with herself. As their hands clasped together, Daisy couldn't help but notice how much more muscled Jemma had become over the years. Fighting for your life on an alien planet and infiltrating a secret, Nazi organization apparently was a great workout routine for some people.

 

She led her through the maintenance tunnels at the back of the base, quietly climbing a few flights of metal stairs as they wound further up and away from the main offices. Finally they pushed through a heavy, metal door as Daisy kicked off her heels to keep the door cracked open behind them. They wandered out onto the roof of the base, cold night air raising goosebumps on their skin as an expansive scene of stars stretched out before them.

 

"Sometimes, when I feel like it's all too much?" Daisy started as she slowly detached herself from Jemma's grasp, trying not to think about how she felt a little sad at the lack of contact. "I think my powers mimic my anxiety and the two together is just so overwhelming." She walked out towards the center of the roof, glancing back to make sure Jemma was far enough away from her. Kneeling down against the concrete she spread her arms out, one in front of her and one behind her as she slowly began to build up the vibrations in her palms. The air swirled beneath her. Jemma watched silently from her spot near the door, biting the inside of her cheek as she watched Daisy. The telltale hum of her power filled the air between them. There had been a time when Jemma had been wary of her powers, nervous about their implications and effects. Now she had faith in her friend and understood it was just as much a part of her as anything else. It was nice to see her so in tune with her gift.

 

Without warning Daisy unleashed the built-up power in her hands, throwing herself up into the night sky, seemingly rising up to meet the stars themselves. Jemma audibly gasped, taking a hesitant step forward as she watched Daisy rise further into the air, arms stretched back behind her â€“ a complete release of her powers. She could see the vibrations stretch out from Daisy, like an epicenter, dispersing harmlessly into the air far above. It truly was a remarkable sight.

 

It was a safe release for all the build up of her powers, Jemma recognized immediately. Instead of harmfully pushing them inwards or letting them out in short bursts throughout the day, she was able to unleash all her frustrations and emotions into the night without harming anyone around her. Tears built up at the corner of her eyes, causing her to wipe them away hastily. She was so proud of her friend.

 

Daisy felt all the aching in her bones leave her body at once, the pressure behind her eyes completely disappearing and the ringing in her ears fading away into nothing. The feeling of weightlessness was unparalleled, and in that moment, she knew that this was exactly what she needed since she left the conference hours earlier. All of her anxiety seemed to melt away. Her body hung in the middle of the sky - seemingly suspended - features free from pain as her arms hung carelessly at her sides, face upturned towards the full moon. Just as quickly as she had risen from the ground she began to fall back towards it, using her powers to steady her descent once she was close enough to the roof. Her feet and knees hit the concrete first, quickly followed by her palms before she rolled over onto her side with a small laugh, completely and utterly exhausted.

 

"So, you fly now?" Jemma mused as she closed the distance between them, sitting down next to her friend as she looked up at the stars.

 

Daisy caught her breath, rolling over to face the scientist. "It's more like controlled falling." She joked back with her, a slight grin. "I was so frustrated one day that I just... threw myself. And before I knew it? I was up in the sky, face-to-face with the sixty-second story of a skyscraper out in Los Angeles. Let's just say the landing was a lot less graceful the first few times." This earned a small chuckle from Jemma, who rolled her eyes at her danger-attracted friend. "It feels like there's an itch in my bones sometimes, like my body is threatening to tear itself apart." Daisy sobered up slightly, frowning at her own confession. She hadn't meant to bring the mood back down again.

 

"This helps?" Jemma offered, gears already turning in her head. It made sense, really, given the history of Daisy's powers. Her control of vibrations was directly influenced to her emotions, so it would only make sense that if she was suffering from anxiety-induced conditions, her powers would follow suit.

 

"It helps a lot." Daisy confirmed, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her chest. She reached out and took Jemma's hand again. "Thank you, for earlier." She said sincerely. "I know I... I know we haven't been as close as we used to be. I'd like to fix that." She offered with the slightest hint of fear in her voice. Daisy rarely reached out, and even more rarely talked about her feelings so openly. She wasn't sure if it was coming down from the adrenaline rush of exhausting her powers or the nervous energy of coming down from a panic attack. Maybe it was the combination of both. Either way, she felt like maybe this was the right time.

 

Jemma smiled, openly and fully this time, squeezing Daisy's hand back. "I'd like to fix that too." They fell back into silence as they watched the stars, taking in the occasional satellite as it streaked across the sky. Neither said anything as the barest hint of a sunrise began to peek out onto the horizon, coating everything in stunning, vibrant colors.


End file.
